Folding bed



(No Model.)

B. P. PARRAR.

FOLDING BED.

Patented Sept. 29,1885.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

, BENJAMIN F. FAR-BAR, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

FOLDING BED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 327,076, dated September 29, 1885.

Application filed March 1, 1884. (N0 imam.)

-to which the sections of the mattress are pivoted, of a hinged head-board, of certain braces, stops, latches, and fastenings, and of a suitable cover for the whole, all of which, together with their construction and operation, l shall hereinafter fully explain.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and cheap article of this class"one which can be readily handled, and which will not easily get out of repair.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my bed, showing it open. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same, showing it closed. Fig. 3 is a plan of same closed. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section of my closed bed, showing the cover for it.

A A are two frames, consisting of bottom pieces, a, under which are the casters B, and the end pieces, a.

O is the bed or mattress, made up of the usual cross-slats, ticking, and intervening springs. This mattress is made in two equal sections, meeting on a central transverse line and hinged together by the hinges 0, located in such position that when the sections are opened out, asshown in Fig. 1, they are on the lower edge, and when folded, as shown in Fig. 2, they are at their inner edges on a central line of the folded bed. This position of the hinges provides for the abutment of entire depth of the meetingedges of the sections and forms a strong joint, which is additionally and principally supported and strengthened by the irons D screwed to the sides of each and abutting against each other in an archlike brace, as shown. Each section of the mattress is pivoted to the ends a of the frames A A, between which they rest and are supported. This pivot-connection is effected by means of irons E screwed to the sides of the sections, and irons E screwed to the inner top surfaces of the ends a, and bolts 6 connecting and hinging the two irons.

Screwed diagonally between the inner edges of the bottom and end pieces,a a,ofthe frames A are the iron straps F, which serve the double purpose of braces for the ends a and as stops for the frames, as I shall presently eX- plain.

T pon the sides of the mattress-sections are the angled irons G, which, when the bed is opened, as in Fig. 1, serve as stops for the frames A by coming in contact with the inner edges of their ends a, whereby the frames are prevented from being accidentally pushed 1nward.

At the head of one of the mattress-sections are screwed pieces H, to which is hinged the board I, which serves as a headboard for the bed when opened, and as a convenient handle for opening and folding the bed, being provided with a hand-hole, z, for this purpose.

Pivoted to one of the arch-irons D on each side is a latch, J, the hooked end of which is adapted to engage with a lug, j, on the opposing arch-iron when the bed is opened out, whereby it is prevented from folding agaln until the latch is released.

The rear ends of the latches behind their fulcrums have attached to them the ends of a cord, K, which when the bed is opened pass down through guidestaples 7c and back under the bed to guide-staples on the head and up through guide-staples on the head-board. The head-board is sustained, when raised, by the flexible straps L, secured to its ends and to the sides of the mattress, and is held closed when the bed is folded by means ofa hook, M, which engages with an eye, m, on the end a.

When the bed is folded, the frames A Aare held together by means of hooks Non one set of ends a, engaging with eyes H on the other set of ends. These hooks are to be used when the bed is to be folded for some time and is likely to be transported. But when the bed is in use I prefer to have the latch O on the side of one section of the mattress engaging with 2. lug or screw, 0, on the other section.

ICO

The operation of folding the bed-that is, changing it from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2is as follows: I seize hold of the head-board by its hand-hole, and of the cord K also, upon which I draw to release the latches J from the lugs j. I then press down on the headboard, the tendency of which pressure is to raise the mattress at its hinged middle, both sections being pivoted, as described, and by a forward pressure of the head-board at the same time the two frames A A, running easily on their casters, approach each other until their ends meet, when the pivoted mattress-sections are thrown into a vertical position. The latch 0 drops over the lug 0 and holds the two sections together. But, as before mentioned, for transportation or other permanent packing I turn the hooks N into the eyes n. The head-board is also secured by its hook M engaging with the eye m. As regards the latch O, I may have a cord to provide for its disengagement, or I may simply release it by hand.

The diagonal irons F, heretofore mentioned, serve their second object by preventing the frames moving apart when unhooked when the bed is folded, and are plainly shown in Fig. 3.

To open the bed I unhook the headboard and the mattress-sections and pull out on the head-board, thereby separating the frames A and turning down the pivoted mattress-sections on their hinged center to a horizontal position. The ends of the arch-irons abutting form a strong central brace, and the latches J drop into engagement with the lugs j to prevent any accidental uprising of the bed. The angled stops G coming against the ends a prevent the frames A from running under.

To make the bed work as easily as possible I can pivot the mattress sections at or near the center of their sides, whereby they will be nicely balanced. The bed, when folded, may

be run into any suitable kind of ornamental case, but for ordinary use I have the following:

Q is a cover consisting of a top piece and end legs, which rest upon the top of the bed when folded, grooves being cut in them to be seated onthe hinges. The cover is raised high enough to provide a space, q, for the bed-clothes, and a hanging drapery, R, of some kind 'conceals the whole device.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a folding bed, the two-part or hinged mattress G, the sections being hinged to supports at equal distances from the ends, in combination with the movable frames A A, having ends a, to which the sections of the mattress are pivoted, and the diagonal stop and brace-irons F, which act as stops for said sections when in an upright position and which extend between the base of frames A A and their ends a, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

2. In a folding bed, the two-part or hinged mattress or bed Oand the head-board I, hinged to the end of one of the sections and carrying the hook M, in combination with the movable frames A A, to which the sections of said mattress are pivoted, substantially as herein described.

3. In a folding bed, the two-part hinged mattress O and the self-adjusting frames or legs A A, to which the sections of the mattress are pivoted, in combination with the pivoted latches J on the sides of one section. and the lugsj, with which said latches engage on the sides of the other section, and the cord K for releasing said latches, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

BENJAMIN F. FARRAR.

Witnesses:

O. D. COLE, J. H. BLooD. 

